The determinants and consequences of tourist satisfaction with mobile travel apps

Travel-related apps are aimed at tourists, millennials, travelers, and travel companies. These apps allow travelers to book accommodations, tours, and flights, regardless of the time of day. Tourists use mobile travel apps to make decisions about their trips. The development of information and communication technology (ICT) has made mobile applications a part of everyday life. However, there is a dearth of research on the continued use of mobile apps in developing countries like Pakistan. This study investigates the influence of service quality, system quality, information quality, perceived trust, perceived usefulness, and expectation confirmation on tourists’ satisfaction with mobile travel apps in Pakistan. In addition, the moderating effect of compatibility on this relationship is also investigated. A quantitative research design with systematic probability sampling in a systematic intercept survey was employed. Data from 479 tourists visiting northern Pakistan were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) via Smart-PLS 3. The results reveal that system quality is the most important predictor of tourists’ satisfaction with mobile apps. System quality, service quality, information quality, perceived trust, expectation confirmation, and perceived usefulness directly increase tourist satisfaction, which leads to a continued use intention of mobile travel apps. Furthermore, compatibility significantly moderates the relationship between system quality, perceived usefulness, and tourists’ satisfaction with mobile travel apps. Travel app designers and travel managers should make decisions and design the app to take into account the aspects that tourists most value. In terms of theoretical implications, the present research applies the expectation confirmation theory and the information system success model in the proposed framework and discovers significant relationships between the variables. Another important discovery concerns the significant moderating effects ofcompatibility in these relationships